Earthquake rattles Montreal, Adirondacks (update)

October 10, 2012

SARANAC LAKE - An earthquake that rattled the Montreal region early this morning was felt here in the Tri-Lakes, waking up some people but causing no injuries or serious damage.

The quake struck at 12:19 this morning and was centered 7 miles northeast of Montreal, but there are conflicting reports of its magnitude.

Natural Resources Canada said it was a 4.5 on the Richter Scale, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported it was a 3.9.

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Site of the earthquake(Map — Natural Resources Canada)

Here in the Tri-Lakes area, residents say they felt the quake. Wendy Daby of Vermontville said she was sleeping at the time.

"My cat woke me up, and then she ran over the top of me," she said. "It was funny. It was just a rumble that went through. I actually thought it was a big truck at first because we live right on Route 3."

Daby said the quake rattled some glasses in her home but didn't cause any damage.

"Based on the size of the earthquake, I wouldn't expect there would be any," Bent said. "It is possible it's big enough (to) have shaken objects off tables, or it's possible there's a little bit of damage."

Bent said there were reports that a few people in the Ottawa area felt the quake as well as residents of the Montreal region.

Dominique Anglade, a member of Montreal's large Haitian community, said on Twitter that she felt the quake and it evoked "very bad memories" of Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake that killed her parents.

Bent said the quake occurred in an area known as the West Quebec seismic zone and temblors are not uncommon in the region.

"It's just a reminder that this is a seismically active area," Bent said.